


Four First Dinners (And One Cancellation)

by beer_good



Category: Angel: the Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Chrismukkah, Christmas, Drabble Collection, Food, Holidays, Multi, Secret Identity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-23
Updated: 2014-12-23
Packaged: 2018-03-02 22:54:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2828954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beer_good/pseuds/beer_good
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five times people had a Christmas dinner together for the first time. Though one of them didn’t quite work out as planned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Four First Dinners (And One Cancellation)

Right, here's this year's holiday fic. Would be a shame to break a tradition. Happy turn-of-darkness, everyone!

 **Title:** Four First Dinners (And One Cancellation)  
 **Author:** Beer Good  
 **Fandom:** Buffyverse  
 **Rating:** PG13  
 **Word count:** 5x100  
 **Characters:** Anne, Willow/Tara, Darla/Angelus, Lindsey McDonald, Buffy/Immortal  
 **Summary:** Five times people had a Christmas dinner together for the first time. Though one of them didn’t quite work out as planned.

 

**Los Angeles, 1998**

At first, Anne was going to take the boss' offer of double time to work on Christmas. Then it struck her; this would be the first one she'd spend all on her own. She liked the idea. Just her, a good meal, a door with a lock, safe from - just safe. Holidays had never meant “peace” before.

She almost made it back from the grocery store before she saw the girl on the corner, her hand out, shivering. And Anne's shopping bag felt too heavy to eat alone.

For years afterwards, every time she managed to feed someone, she thought “peace.”

 

**Sunnydale, 2000**

When they got back from the Summers’ Christmas dinner, Willow collapsed on the bed with a groan.

Tara lay down behind her, letting her hand ghost over her stomach. “Are you OK, sweetie?”

“Urgh. How do they pack all that eating into _one_ day? It’s not natural.”

“Well, you know, you’ve sort of been celebrating three holidays in a row this year…”

"Yulenukkahmas. Our kids are going to be so fat." Willow grinned, then suddenly realised what she’d said. "I-I mean our hypothetical, waaaay-in-the-future - "

Tara just chuckled and kissed her neck. “Let’s just say they’ll have a lot of options.”

 

**Dublin, 1753**

Molly was late home, running through the dark streets, thinking of the warm fire and her mother’s cooking. The shadows were growing long, and she almost frightened herself to death when she turned a corner and ran straight into a very fancy-looking couple, who’d surely be outraged at such behaviour from a servant girl. “Oh, I am so very sorry, madam, sir…”

But the man put out his hand and smiled, and said, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you great tidings..." And then his _face_

"Luke 2:10?", Darla laughed afterwards. " _Really_ , Angelus?"

"What can I say? ‘Tis the season."

 

**Los Angeles, 1996**

“What are you waiting for, Lindsey?” Mr Manners (“Holland, please, we’re all family here”) put his hand on Lindsey’s shoulder and smiled. “Just help yourself.”

The huge buffet set out for the Wolfram & Hart Christmas party looked delicious. It was just that he’d suddenly remembered standing in line at church with his father, watching him bow in gratitude for a plate of turkey, wondering why the people who always looked the other way suddenly cared on that one day. That look; as if by feeding you, they owned you.

He’d come a long way, he thought as he tucked in.

 

**Rome, 2003**

Buffy rang her mysterious not-quite-boyfriend’s doorbell, greeting him with a kiss when he opened. “Ciao, bello. Ready to take me out to...“ She paused and looked at him, half-dressed in a red suit, with a fake belly and a beard in his hand. “OK, you know it’s not actually Christmas for another four hours, right?”

The Immortal checked his watch. “Uh, yeah. Sorry, gotta cancel, forgot I had a… family tradition. Call you?”

There was a weird noise from the bedroom which, for some reason, sounded like several reindeer grunting impatiently. Buffy shrugged; whatever, they never said they were exclusive.


End file.
